The present invention relates to mop handles, and more particularly to structure for improving control of water flow through a hollow mop handle. It will be understood that the term xe2x80x9cmopxe2x80x9d is used herein to denote any hand-held cleaning implement having, or for attachment to, a work engaging portion.
For quite some time, mop handles have been provided in hollow form for connecting a hose, or the like, to the mop rod or scrubbing portion of the mop. Some such mop handles have included a manually operable control mechanism for selective movement between two (on/off) or three (on/half-on/off) positions. In prior art three-position controls, the center (half-on) position was often unstable, requiring careful manipulation by the operator to ensure proper engagement of a detent on the stopper with a recess in the handle body. The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for improving stability of a flow-control mechanism in mop handles equipped for flow of water or other liquids therethrough.
Prior art mop handles, as will be described in connection with the drawings, have included mechanism for controlling flow of water through the hollow, holding portion of the handle by means of a rotatable stopper having a pair of detents in the form of rounded protrusions. A partition in the handle included a pair of recesses for engagement by the detents and a flow opening which could be completely or partially blocked by the stopper, or completely unblocked (fully open), depending upon the selected position of the stopper. In the completely blocked or closed position, the stopper engaged a resilient gasket surounding the flow opening and neither of the detents on the stopper engaged a recess; in the half-on position one of the detents engaged a recess, and in the fully open position both detents engaged respective recesses.
In the mop handle of the present invention, a third detent is added to the stopper, and a third recess is provided in the internal partition in the body of the handle. When the stopper is in the fully blocking (closed) position, the added detent is engaged in one of the recesses. In the half-open position the added detent and one of the other detents are engaged in two of the recesses, and in the fully open position all three detents are engaged in the three recesses. This structure provides more stable and accurate positioning of the flow-control member, thereby ensuring the desired operation.
The foregoing and other features of construction and operation of the mop handle flow control of the invention will be more readily understood and fully appreciated from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.